Welcome to Brainstorms!, the monthly e-newsletter of the MSU Science Math Resource Center. We share cool opportunities for Montana STEM educators of all grade levels, subjects and settings, including upcoming professional development workshops through MSU and our partners; grant applications and STEM resources; STEM events and contests for students; and more.
Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too! For questions or ideas, contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center.
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Science Teachers Holiday Sweater Networking Event - Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 - 4pm - Online
All are welcome! Join the Montana Science Teachers Association for a fun-filled hour of networking with other current, past and future science teachers of all grade levels.
Grab your hot cocoa and your favorite winter sweater for this festive networking event. You will get the chance to meet and exchange information with science teachers from around the state. Mingle in breakout rooms that are organized by grade levels(s) or subjects taught as well as rooms that are designed to be more social.
And, one lucky attendee will win a digital microscope from the Montana Learning Center!
This event is designed to build a spirit of collaboration among all science teachers in Montana! (You do not have to be an MSTA member to attend). If you have any students who hope to be science teachers, invite them, too!
Please RSVP by Dec. 16 so we can send you the zoom link prior to the event. http://bit.ly/msta-sweater24
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Math competition comes to MSU in January | |
American Mathematics Competition for middle schoolers is Jan. 23 at MSU
The AMC, organized by the Mathematics Association of America (MAA), are a series of tests aimed at middle and high school students in grades 7-12. These tests focus on developing students' problem-solving skills and content knowledge. The Science Math Resource Center hosts these competitions at MSU at no charge to participants. AMC 10/12 are high-school level competitions and took place in November, and AMC8 offers challenging questions up through 8th grade.
AMC 8: Jan. 23, 2025 - 4:30pm
Registration is now open for the AMC 8. Teachers who are interested in bringing a group of students should contact Jill Joyce at smrc@montana.edu. To get updates on AMC and other upcoming math events, sign up for the Montana Math Circle Newsletter
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Science Olympiad to take place in March 2025 - Register today!
The Montana Science Olympiad State Tournament will be held at MSU-Bozeman on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and registration is now open through Jan. 31.
In this team-based competition, middle and high school students from across Montana compete in 30 STEM events including Anatomy & Physiology, Fossils, Optics, Wind Power, Tower building, Codebusters, and more. The event at MSU also includes a free STEM night at the Museum of the Rockies, as well as opportunities to explore MSU’s labs and classrooms while meeting students and faculty in various STEM fields.
Get Started in Science Olympiad
For more info, email mtscioly@montana.edu or visit Montana Science Olympiad
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MSU authors pen journal article that features community partner perspectives on university research
An article co-authored by SMRC director Suzi Taylor and MSU colleagues Daniel Grant, Nicole Motzer and Nika Stoop was recently published in a special issue of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. The research was supported by ARIS, Advancing Research Impact in Society, an international organization dedicated to the intersection of research and society.
This special edition is the result of a two-year effort to identify, pilot, and publish scholarly research about the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Broader Impacts (BI) criterion and its role in community engagement. For the MSU article, titled Elevating Voices: Community Partner Perspectives on a Broader Impacts Toolkit, the authors offer community partner perspectives on the NSF–funded Broader Impacts Toolkit, a new digital tool researchers can use to improve the societal relevance of their research. Partners suggest three ways the toolkit could be improved moving forward, underscoring the importance of relationship building to any BI activity. Read the article here or view the BI Toolkit here.
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New $3 million grant at Montana State to support dozens of STEM teachers in rural, underserved areas of Montana
A new six-year, $3 million grant-funded project at Montana State University will support dozens of science, technology, engineering and math teachers in rural and underserved areas of Montana as they work toward graduate degrees in science education or deepen their expertise as teachers. The project ultimately aims to strengthen STEM education for students in rural areas of the state.
The grant comes from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which works to support STEM teachers. The principal investigator is Dr. Fenqjen Luo, associate director of the Science Math Resource Center. Read the MSU News article here.
The program is still recruiting middle and high school STEM teachers from high-need school districts in Montana. For this cohort, participants must already have a master's degree or at least 9 credits towards one. View the MSU Noyce page here and contact Dr. Luo for more information: fluo@montana.edu
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Congratulations, Education grads!
Congratulations to all the MSU Department of Education students who will be honored at the fall commencement on Dec. 13, 2024. We wish you the best of luck in your journey as teachers, education specialists, administrators and so many other paths. [And school administrators, if you're hiring, here are lots of Bobcats to recruit!]
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Exploring rural: Montana State students gain teaching experience in Gallatin County schools
75 first-year students at MSU who visited rural elementary and middle schools in the Gallatin Valley over the last two weeks to teach lessons related to science, technology, art, engineering and mathematics. The students are all enrolled in EDU 101, an introductory education course focused on teaching and learning. Read the MSU news article here.
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Are you doing citizen science in your classroom? The Montana NSF EPSCoR SMART FIRES team is working on a directory of citizen science projects, people and opportunities in Montana. Please email Julia Wente at julia.wente@montana.edu if we should know about you or someone you know so we can foster collaboration in our state. Thanks! | |
Join us for the Montana STEM Summit April 3, 2025 in Helena
And, check out the Montana STEM Ecosystem!
The biennial Montana STEM Summit will be hosted April 3, 2025 in Helena. This free event brings together STEM educators and advocates from across the state. Registration is now open! Learn more and plan to attend.
The Science Math Resource Center and many other organizations are supporting the new Montana STEM Ecosystem to gain a network of support for STEM in Montana. You can join for free, too!
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Save the date: The STEM Summer Institute is July 28-30, 2025 at MSU-Bozeman
Join us for Montana's premiere STEM conference for educators!
- Inspiring keynotes
- Networking and social events
- Exhibitor booths
- Lots of hands-on workshops by teachers, for teachers
- MSU Housing available at reduced rate
Presenter applications will open soon. Learn more about STEM Summer Institute.
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MSU helps support the rural teacher shortage with a free program for high school students: Bridge to College
The goal of our program is to help address the rural teacher shortage by identifying individuals from rural communities who may be interested in becoming teachers, provide them with resources and training to help them navigate the transition to college as well as creating a community of peers.
Students who take part in the program have access to college navigation resources or topics such as writing an effective scholarship application", how to budget personal finances during college and how to create a sense of belonging at college.
There are two components to our program:
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The Future Rural Educators' Club - an online community with synchronous meetings that emphasizes teacher and leadership skill development and
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The Future Rural Educators' Summer Camp where rising juniors and seniors attend an on-campus camp for one week in the summer to gain teaching experience, connect with post-secondary services and take part in leadership activities.
Our program is open to any high school student in the state who wants to be a teacher, and commitment to MSU is not a requirement. Contact Marcie Reuer at marcie.reuer@montana.edu
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The SEES stands for STEM Enhancement in Earth Science. This summer intern program is a nationally competitive STEM experience for high school students. Interns will learn how to interpret NASA satellite data while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen area of work, including astronomy, remote sensing, and space geodetic techniques to help understand Earth systems, natural hazards and climate science. SEES is open to 10th and 11th graders and the application deadline is Feb. 22, 2025.
This summer interns will complete distance learning modules prior to July 1 and work remotely June – July 5, guided by project mentors. The on-site internship will be July 6 – July 19, 2025. Housing, meals, and local transportation will be provided for those selected. All project teams will present their research during the Virtual SEES Science Symposium July 21-22, 2025.
If a student from Montana is selected to participate in the SEES program, MSGC can provide travel support to Texas for the on-site portion of the internship.
Apply for the SEES High School Summer Intern Program
Please contact msgc@montana.edu with any questions or award information.
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Invention Montana:
Shark Tank Meets Science Fair
Invent Montana brings innovation curriculum to K-12 inventors and entrepreneurs throughout the state of Montana. Students are asked to identify a unique problem in their world, build a solution to that problem, chronicle their journey to a successful solution, and present their invention to their peers and judges. Top Montana students advance to a multi-state virtual competition, whose winners then advance to RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2025, an in-person event where students from all over the country gather to showcase their inventions.
Montana signups are Jan 1-16, 2025. Parents and teachers get access to free curriculum. Optional free virtual training available to support parents and teachers.
Visit inventmontana.org or email hello@inventmontana.org
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Educator Resources and Partner Projects | |
Montana Space Grant Consortium is sponsoring two Montana 5-12 classroom teachers to attend the University of Texas at Austin, Center for Space Research's LiftOff Summer Institute in 2025. Sponsorship includes airfare to Houston, Texas and a registration fee of $1,250 (which includes lodging, meals and tours).
The LiftOff Summer Institute is a weeklong professional development training for teachers that emphasizes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning through a space science theme supported by NASA missions.
Please visit MSGC's website for more information and application materials
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Connect Your Classroom with Nautilus Live
Free Interactive Opportunity!
Looking for an exciting way to bring STEM to life in your classroom? Nautilus Live is offering free, live Ship-to-Shore interactions with their team of scientists and engineers currently conducting expeditions in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
These interactive sessions, lasting 30-60 minutes, are a fantastic opportunity for students to ask questions and engage directly with experts working aboard the ship. The Nautilus team is particularly eager to connect with Montana teachers before their season concludes in mid-December.
Learn more and schedule your session here: Nautilus Live - Ship-to-Shore Interactions.
Don’t miss this chance to inspire your students with real-world science and exploration!
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The Recycle Montana Board is giving away the rest of their recycling education trunks!
The trunks include lesson plans K through 12, fun facts, recycling tips and guides, and items made from recycled materials including t-shirts, non toxic insulation made from clothing and a mini can bale. We will ship the trunks free of charge or make delivery arrangements available.
First come first serve; There are only a few left.
Please contact Candi Zion, Executive Director, Recycle Montana, at 406-899-6513.
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Calling Montana Educators: Earn a $100 Gift Card by Sharing Your Insights on Education in Montana
Leading Educators (LE) is seeking Montana school and district leaders, as well as science educators, to participate in a 1-hour research interview. Your feedback will help shape a new digital resource hub to support high-quality science instruction. In appreciation of your time, you will receive a $100 gift card for participating.
Sign up by completing this simple Google form
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Apply now! Train at CDC Headquarters in Atlanta this summer. Learn ways to teach public health as part of your curriculum. The CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship (SAF) is a one-year distance-learning fellowship for STEM teachers and educational leaders interested in bringing public health sciences into middle- and high-school classrooms. The Fellowship includes a 5-day in-person summer course at CDC Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Eligible travel, meals, and lodging expenses for the summer course are covered by CDC.
During the Fellowship, educators:
- Learn epidemiology and public health concepts,
- Collaborate with CDC experts to develop STEM lesson plans, and
- Become advocates for public health education.
2025 SAF Summer Course Dates are July 14–18, 2025. Applications are open now through January 15, 2025. U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.
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Julia Wente selected for national marine policy fellowship
Congratulations to our Science Math Resource Center colleague, Julia Wente, who was selected for a prestigious Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program. Julia, along with other Fellows, will spend the next year working alongside federal agencies or legislative offices in Washington, D.C., applying their academic expertise to critical marine, coastal and Great Lakes policy issues. Julia represents both Montana State University as well as Hawaii Sea Grant and will be serving with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters in Arlington, Va. We will miss you at SMRC, Julia!
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SMRC's Aleisha Dutton named student organization leader of the month
Congratulations to Aleisha Dutton, SMRC student intern, who was recognized as the October Student Leader of the Month from MSU's Registered Student Organizations for her role as president of the American Marketing Association. In May, the chapter earned a Top 10 designation out of more than 350 chapters at the annual AMA International Collegiate Conference. In addition to the chapter’s Top 10 designation — its fifth straight — the MSU AMA chapter won first place for Best Website.
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Other Science Math Resource Center newsletters you may like
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Montana Citizen Science Network (quarterly) - subscribe
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Montana Girls STEM News (quarterly) - subscribe
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Montana Mathematics Circle (monthly) - subscribe
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Science Olympiad Coaches' Corner (monthly) - subscribe
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Do you know a Montana STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year. Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/smrc-news | | | | |